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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27076954">Broken bones</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_for_the_andreil/pseuds/All_for_the_andreil'>All_for_the_andreil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All For The Game - Nora Sakavic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Andrew Minyard Loves Neil Josten, Andrew is soft, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt Neil Josten, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, POV Andrew Minyard, Protective Andrew Minyard, Soft Boys, tw: mentions of Neil’s past</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 01:27:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27076954</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_for_the_andreil/pseuds/All_for_the_andreil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neil gets injured during a game and freaks out. Andrew finds out what exactly happened to Neil in Baltimore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>570</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Broken bones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Andrew doesn’t give a single fuck about exy. Sure, he plays it and he plays it well, but does he actually care about winning the games? No.</p>
<p>What he does care about though is Neil (not that he’d admit that to anyone), and Neil is an exy junkie and it makes Andrew think about the game a tiny bit more. Even if it’s just because he fairly enjoys watching Neil run across the court like he was born for this and Andrew can practically see his stupid smile under the helmet.</p>
<p>But exy is, after all, a bastard sport and violence is as much part of the game as everything else. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially Andrew.</p>
<p>But when he sees the opposing back-liner take a swing at Neil with his racket, hitting him square in his leg, he still freezes, unable to believe this is happening.</p>
<p>He leaves the goal without thinking and runs to Neil. He hears Kevin yelling at him but he barely registers that. The only thing he can focus on is Neil, currently on the ground, with painful expression on his face.</p>
<p>It’s quite a distance from the goal, so by the time he gets to Neil, Dan is already there, crouching next to Neil.</p>
<p>“Get away from him,” Andrew hisses, his tone vicious. He wants to break every bone in the back-liner’s body, but the referees are already there and the back-liner is surrounded by too many people and even Andrew isn’t stupid enough to fight all of them.</p>
<p>Dan opens her mouth to protest, but when she meets Andrew’s cold eyes, she just resignedly gets out of the way.</p>
<p>“Neil.”</p>
<p>He expects Neil to answer his usual “I’m fine” or something along these lines, but Neil just looks at him with his big blue eyes and whispers: “Get me out of here.”</p>
<p>Andrew drops his racket onto the ground and helps Neil up. He genuinely considers carrying him, because for some reason Neil seems really freaked out, but there’s way too many people around, so he just lets Neil wrap his arm around his shoulders and helps him limp out of the court.</p>
<p>Abby’s already waiting for them. He lowers Neil onto a bench and doesn’t fail to notice he’s shaking a little. He’s seen Neil in thousand times worse shape, but he never looked like this and Andrew didn’t know what was wrong or what he should do.</p>
<p>He gets Neil out of his gear and suppresses the urge to growl at Abby to not touch Neil. Neil reaches his hand out to him. “Yes or no?” He asks in low voice.</p>
<p>Andrew nods and takes his hand. Neil’s grip is tight, anxious.    </p>
<p>“Nothing seems to be broken, just badly bruised,” Abby says softly after checking Neil’s leg and Neil exhales in relief.</p>
<p>Wymack comes shortly afterwards. “Alright, kid?” He asks Neil and when Neil nods, he turns to Andrew. “Minyard. The game’s about to start again. Get back in the goal.”</p>
<p>Andrew doesn’t move a muscle, just squeezes Neil’s hand. “No.”</p>
<p>Wymack eyes their intertwined hands and the resolute look in Andrew’s eyes and sighs. He mumbles something that sounds like a curse but fortunately doesn’t try to persuade Andrew. They both know it’d be waste of time.</p>
<p>When the game resumes, Andrew gets Neil to the locker room. He knows something is seriously wrong when Neil doesn’t even protest that he wants to watch the play.</p>
<p>He brings him ice for the injury and sits in front of him, watching him. “Why are you freaking out?”</p>
<p>“I’m not freaking out,” Neil replies and winces when Andrew puts the ice on the already forming bruise.</p>
<p>“Don’t lie. You don’t have to tell me why.”</p>
<p>Neil sighs, not quite meeting Andrew’s eyes. “Baltimore.”</p>
<p>Andrew automatically tenses at the mention of that.</p>
<p>“When my father got to me, he said… he said he will slit my ankles and then my knees, so I won’t… so I won’t run away again.”</p>
<p>Andrew momentarily thinks he’s going to be sick. Neil never told him what exactly happened when his father kidnapped him. He knew he was tortured by Lola. He knew about the part with the dashboard lighter and knives. He knew his uncle killed his father. But that was it. Neil never went into details and Andrew never asked. Part of Andrew is glad he didn’t know.</p>
<p>He forces himself to get back together, for Neil’s sake. “Your father’s dead,” he reminds him. <em>If he wasn’t, I’d hunt him down and kill him. </em></p>
<p>Neil nods. “I know.”</p>
<p>“No one’s going to hurt you. I’ll kill everyone who touches you.”</p>
<p>Neil gives him a soft smile. “And they say romance is dead.”</p>
<p>“Shut up, Josten.” But there’s no heat in those words.</p>
<p>Neil just grins and asks: “Yes or no?”</p>
<p>Andrew crinkles his nose. “Shower first. You stink.”</p>
<p>“Hm. Help me?”</p>
<p>Andrew rolls his eyes but obediently gets Neil out of the rest of his clothes and maneuvers him into the shower. Fitting both of them comfortably into the small stall isn’t exactly easy, but Andrew makes it work.</p>
<p>Once they are showered and dressed, Andrew tugs at Neil’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”</p>
<p>Neil raises an eyebrow at him. “What about the rest?”</p>
<p>Andrew just shrugs. “They can walk.”</p>
<p>Neil gives him a pointed look, that Andrew positively hates. “Andrew.”</p>
<p>“They’ll able to catch a ride with someone else.” He tugs at his hand again. “Come on.”</p>
<p>“Will you carry me?” Neil asks with a smile.</p>
<p>Andrew scoffs. “Are you fucking kidding me?”</p>
<p>“But my leg hurts,” Neil pouts.</p>
<p>Andrew sighs. “You are a nuisance,” he mumbles but lifts Neil almost effortlessly. Neil grins at him and kisses his cheek, which Andrew doesn’t find endearing in any way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although Wymack doesn’t think Andrew would hurt Neil, he saw how that aggressive that stabby midget can get and he can imagine how Josten with his sneery remarks could push him over the edge, so he decides he’ll check on them before the end of the game. He doesn’t want the rest of the team to walk onto a murder scene or something.</p>
<p>What he does not expect is walking into the locker room to see Minyard picking up Josten from where he was sitting on the bench and carrying him out bridal-style.</p>
<p>And what he certainly does not expect is Josten smiling widely at Andrew and kissing his cheek and he can swear he saw Andrew give Neil a soft look as he does so.</p>
<p>They haven’t noticed him – thank god for that – and well, Wymack is staring after them, frozen on spot. Who would have guessed it that the two most terrifying people on his team could be soft?  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading 🌚</p></blockquote></div></div>
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